AN: Credit goes to Karategal, TheMoonlessNight, and Hearts of Eternity for letting me borrow a couple of their ideas.
Devastation
Optimus carefully lowered his right arm, the plasma hole from Shockwave's blast still slizzing slightly. Fortunately his armor had stood up rather well, the red and blue mech deactivated several pain sensors around the spot so that he could continue fighting.
"Bumblebee." He rumbled. "Are you still functional?" The yellow spy nodded.
"Yes sir."
"Go help Sideswipe." Un-subspacing his own gun, he pointed it at the purple Decepticon. "Shockwave. What are you doing here?"
"Optimus Prime." The mech responded. "It seems living on this organic planet has agreed with you and your team of Autobots."
"I don't want to fight, Shockwave." Optimus warned, watching out of the corner of one optic as Bumblebee limped over to Sideswipe. Just beyond them was the prone figure of Thundercracker, who was still unmoving. "Whatever it is you want, let us speak of it peacefully. This planet has nothing to do with our grievances."
"I have only come to confirm several things."
"Hmph, a likely story!" Prowl said, coming up alongside the Autobot leader. "Since when does 'confirming several things' involve plasma fire?"
"I had hoped to confirm what would be necessary and what was unnecessary." Shockwave answered.
"Necessary and unnecessary?" Optimus repeated. "For what purpose?"
"For Cybertron." Both Optimus and Prowl jolted in surprise.
"Cybertron?"
"Here, I'll take her." First Aid said, taking the wriggling and squirming Nightfire from Chromia's arms. "You two get going! Prime's going to need all the help he can get." Nightfire squeaked in anger, trying in vain to get back to her mother's arms as Chromia shifted into her alternate mode.
"Bluestreak, get Prime's trailer ready." Ironhide ordered, shuddering into his Topkick form. Ratchet, get your aft up here. Sirens blasted, the yellow Hummer appearing next to the black truck.
I'm ready.
"Bumblebee managed to get them a good several miles outside the city." Hound reported. "We're alerting the local human authorities but you need to try and settle things as fast as you can."
Get the bay ready, First Aid. Ratchet texted. The Protectorbot nodded, watching as the group sped out of the Ark.
"I'll go get the extra supplies we do have." Wheeljack said. "I got a bad feeling we're going to need them."
"What do we do about Nightfire?" Perceptor asked, taking the angry sparkling. Nightfire hissed in rage, little hands curling into fists and slamming them into the scientist's chest chassis.
"You and Hound want to take her to the bunker?" The yellow and white Autobot considered this, and then shook his head.
"We'll stay in the rec room. If anything happens, just hit the alarm and we'll make tracks for the bunker. Sssh, little one…" Nightfire did not take the endearment well, dragging in a deep breath though her vents before issuing a high-pitched scream.
"Gah! Here, let me have her!" Nightfire only howled louder as she was passed over to Bluestreak. The blue Autobot was quick to grip the baby 'bot by the scruff-bar, a series of clicks and squeaks coming from his own voice capacitor. In reply Nightfire looked up at the mech, her optics moist and trickling tears as she chirped sadly.
"It'll be alright." Bluestreak soothed as he cradled the sparkling close. "Chromia and Ironhide will be back soon, you'll see." The little femme curled up as close as she could to Bluestreak's pump, sticking her little fingers in her mouthplate. "Everything will be just fine."
"What does Cybertron have to do with your actions?" Optimus asked, carefully walking to the side so that he could keep his frame between Shockwave and Bumblebee.
"Everything. It is our home world after all, Optimus. Does it not fall on us to try to repair the damage that was done to it?"
"Why do you think we left to search for the AllSpark?!" Sunstreaker hissed from his spot next to his twin. "The damage that you glitching bastards did to our planet, it fell on our shoulders to try and fix!"
"The Decepticons weren't the only ones who hurt Cybertron, Autobot, and your very words are a perfect example of how single-minded your faction is." Shockwave answered.
"Single-minded?!"
"Sunstreaker!" Optimus barked.
"Both Autobots and Decepticons share the same weight of the blame on what we did to our home." Prowl said. "But unlike the Decepticons, we at least confessed-no, we knew what we had done, and were trying to fix it!"
"You have a point there." Shockwave admitted. "Just as you had one in sending the AllSpark off-planet and away from Megatron. Clever, though one debates that if that victory was worth the suffering that followed."
"Were you responsible for attacking Mirage?" Optimus asked.
"He was an intruder." The Autobot leader's optics widened at the heartless tone. "He threatened to destroy the balance."
"Balance?" Prowl asked, a puzzled look on his faceplates. "What sort of balance?" Then he moved closer to Optimus as Shockwave advanced slowly, and then stopped.
Prime, I don't like this…
"I notice that not many Decepticons have come here…that the majority of our kind have been Autobots." Shockwave said, his one optic trained on the red and blue mech. "Logic would assume…knowing Starscream's tendencies, that considerably more Decepticons would have arrived on this planet by now."
"Were you responsible for Starscream's death?!" Prowl shot out suddenly.
Prowl! Prime texted. Shockwave tilted his head.
"Starscream is dead? How random…and yet, such the distinct possibility."
"His wounds mirrored the ones you gave Mirage!" The black-and-white shot back.
"I assure you Autobot, and it is up to you whether you wish to believe me or not, I was not responsible for Starscream's apparent demise. As Megatron's second-in-command and with his traitorous tendencies well-known, he had many enemies. However, I do find it hard to believe that every single injury he was given mirrored what I did to your comrade."
"No." Optimus admitted. If they could get answers to some of the many questions they had in this manner, so be it. "What would have been the killing blow…was his spark being ripped out of his chest." Shockwave paused to consider this new information.
"Disturbing." He finally pronounced. "That is certainly not my method of deactivation, and all of us are very familiar with the only one that did do such a thing. However, then there is a problem with that train of logic. Said mech that was known for performing such acts…has been dead for a vorn."
From his vantage point in the canyon, Barricade considered the situation below him. He and Frenzy had arrived late to the scene, the black-and-white mech choosing to hide in an overhang of rocks and watch what was going on.
"Heheheknowsmorethanhe'slettingonon!" Frenzy hissed from his perch on Barricade's shoulder.
"I know." The black-and-white answered.
"Thinkthinkhekilledbitchbitchbitch?"
"As much as I would like to point a finger at him, he's right. The M.O. of ripping sparks out wasn't his, it was Megatron. But then again, he's been dead for a vorn. Nor does it fit with any of the others who hated Starscream."
"Soifhehedidn'tdoitandtheydidn'tdoitdoit,whodiddid?"
"That's what I'd like to find out." Barricade muttered. "Thundercracker?"
"Flybotfinefine. Stasislocklock. WillnotbefinefineifShockwaveseesees."
"I know."
Sideswipe bit back a cry of pain as Sunstreaker finished tying off the broken Energon lines at his right shoulder.
You better fraggin hang on, you hear me you son of a glitch?! Sunstreaker transmitted to his brother. You better not die on me, if you even try I'll kick your aft, you hear?!
Guh…Sunny…your bedside manner…needs improvement…
Frag that!
"Just what are you up to, Shockwave?" Optimus demanded.
"I only wish to help Cybertron heal, to rebuild our world to what it once was. Logic dictates for that to happen, it is necessary to have homes, places of businesses, and such other things, correct?"
"Yes…" Prime said warily, not sure of where this was going.
"And to make sure things can resume the proper order, is it not necessary to have inhabitants for those homes, to run businesses, is that not correct?"
"What's your point, logic-center?!" Sunstreaker snapped.
"My point is, to help our world thrive once more; do we not need little ones?" Every Autobot present felt his spark freeze at those words, processors coming up with only one thought.
Bumblebee. But then on the heels of that…
Nightfire! Prowl was the first to recover, stepping forward and pointing his blasters at the purple Decepticon.
"What are you getting at?!" An attitude that could loosely be defined as a smirk seemed to radiate off the Decepticon.
"No one was aware of this, but…there were survivors of Floatila."
Barricade and Frenzy almost fell down together.
"WHAT?!"
The Autobots stared at Shockwave, trying to process what they had just heard.
"…What?" Sideswipe finally whispered. "But nobody…nobody…"
"Oh yes, there were survivors." Shockwave said. "However, it does appear that I have exceeded the time I permitted myself to speak to you." He brought up his gun arm again. "I am on a tight schedule."
"Bumblebee, help get Sideswipe out of here!" Optimus roared, charging up his own weapon.
How much further?! Chromia texted. Shockwave could have killed them by now!
Not too much more. Ratchet replied, his own spark twisting with fear. Chromia was right; they could be too late already.
Can't get in touch with them. Ironhide replied. Then all of a sudden, he slammed on his brakes as something tore past him. What the Pit?! Then he really had to bite back on a roar of pain as Chromia slammed into his rear bumper, and Ratchet likewise with her rear bumper.
Ow!
Ironhide, Pit blast you! What do you think you're doing?!
What in the name of Primus was that?! The Topkick transmitted. Backing up, Chromia sent out her own sensor grid.
…I don't know what is it, but it's heading for Prime and the others!
Optimus groaned as he tried to get up from where he had fallen. His team had barely any time to defend themselves, after firing off several blasts from his gun arm Shockwave had transformed into his Cybertronian alt mode, a large plasma cannon. Prowl and Sunstreaker had immediately been taken out with the first blast, as Shockwave had shifted back to his original mode Bumblebee had tried to attack but failed, being tossed around like a piece of scrap metal and sent hurling backwards into the canyon wall, another blast had sent Sideswipe straight into stasis lock, and then it was only Optimus against the ruthless Decepticon. In a normal situation, the end result would have been the Autobot leader handing the purple mech a very sound beating, as Prime was considered one of the most powerful and devastating warriors on Cybertron.
But this wasn't a normal situation. The stress and strain of the past vorn, coupled with the spark-wrenching pain of missing his mate, mixed with not accepting the bond between him and his sparkling/little brother, the depression that the Autobot leader had been in recently, the overwork…it was catching up with Optimus. As a result, he was off-balance…and it allowed Shockwave to capitalize.
Violently.
"I find myself disappointed, Optimus." Energon pouring from his wounds, the red and blue mech struggled to get up but found himself being forced back down as Shockwave put one foot on his chest. "Your considerable age must have slowed your reflexes." Grunting with pain, Optimus forced his arms up and around Shockwave's leg, pulling with all his might. The Decepticon scientist went down, with Optimus pressing his advantage by firing off every single round from his gun at the purple mech.
I have to…hang on…until the others arrive! This thought was wiped from his mind however, as the sudden gear-grinding of a transformation was his only warning before Shockwave fired another deadly plasma blast…hitting the Autobot leader dead-center in his chest chassis.
"Arrggghhhh!" Pain sensors going off the chart as armor started to melt away, eating into his wiring and melting away the metal inside-a hole appearing in his pump, exposing his spark-then more alarms, the radiation from the shard of metal was starting to go past unsafe levels- Optimus struggled to draw in air though his vents, cooling systems starting to kick into overtime in an effort to try and soothe the damage... Then he all but screamed again when a purple foot slammed down on the wound, crushing his pump-box.
"I have seen the future of Cybertron, Optimus Prime, and you are not in it." Feeling his consciousness start to fade away-the Matrix already calling to his spark to come and join it-Optimus weakly looked up into the yellow optic of Shockwave, who had aimed the barrel of his gun less than one centimeter away from his foreplate. "Farewell."
But then all of a sudden, the sound of an engine roaring-gears grinding-and then an oddly familiar voice-
NO!
Shockwave had no time to react, a streak of rose slamming into him, sending him stumbling backwards-the sound of gunfire- Optimus shuddered as it suddenly became too much for him, and his optics rolled upwards into his head as the shutters closed over them.
Ratchet pulled up to the canyon, gyros twisting as he morphed into his original form.
"Optimus!"
"Oh no!" Chromia gasped as she finished assuming her form, beside her Ironhide roared with fury and launched himself at the staggering Shockwave. "We're too late!"
"Not yet we're not!" Ratchet snapped. "Go help your mate!" Chromia obeyed, launching several missiles at the Decepticon before joining Ironhide. The rose-streak suddenly split off from its attack on Shockwave, hurrying over to the badly battered form of Optimus.
"Optimus, no! Don't you dare die on me!" Having arrived several astroseconds behind the stranger, Ratchet was quick to pull Optimus's frame away from her hands-
Her hands? The CMO looked up, recognizing the color-his spark slammed against its box in shock, how was this-
"Elita?!"
AN: -ducks- If you kill me, I can't update! ;)